==Invitation Message and Informed Consent Statement for "Global Bots" Greetings Wikipedia Editor-

My name is Randall Livingstone, and I am an adjunct faculty member in the School of Communication at Endicott College, studying digital media and online communities. I am posting to invite you to participate in my dissertation research exploring the work of Wikipedia editors, programmers, and administrators involved in the creation and management of bots and automated editing tools. The interview should take 30 to 45 minutes and can be conducted online or in-person, at your convenience.

Your interview responses will help online communication researchers like me to better understand the collaborations, challenges, and purposeful work of Wikipedia editors and programmers like you. Questions will address your contributions to Wikipedia, and specifically, your thoughts, opinions and experiences working with bots, automated editing tools, and technical protocol in the system.

The interview is voluntary, and your confidentiality will be protected. You will have the choice of using your real name, Wikipedia username, or creating a unique pseudonym during the research. Your name will not appear on any documents or in published work if you wish to keep it confidential. If you choose to keep your name secret, I will be the only one with access to materials including your name. If you agree to be interviewed online and would not like your name to appear in the dissertation, please note that online communication is not always completely secure and absolute privacy is not guaranteed. I will do my best to protect your information by immediately removing your name from saved text files, and all information will be encrypted and saved only on my personal computer immediately following the interview.

There are no foreseeable risks to you by participating in this study. You may choose to not answer any question or questions, and you may withdraw at any time. By agreeing to be interviewed, you are providing informed consent to participate in the research and for the interview to be recorded via audio or video (when applicable). You may also obtain a copy of this consent form at any time.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact me via my Talk page or [email]. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact the [Institutional Review Board Committee Chair].

Thank you very much.

Please visit my Meta page for more information on the WPCSB survey project, including the appropriate permissions from the Wikimedia Research Committee

I am currently reading through all of the old Bot Policy Archives and updating the Bots/Status list with information I find that is missing. This is part of a larger project of mine to learn about bots, bot operators, BAG, and bot policy. If you're involved with bots on Wikipedia, I'd love to talk to you...Feel free to leave a message. And check out my Meta page for more info on the project. Thanks! UOJComm (talk) 04:35, 22 November 2011 (UTC)

Greetings Wikipedia Editor-

Thank you for your interest in my project, which explores the work of Wikipedia editors, programmers, and administrators involved in the creation and management of bots and automated editing tools. The interview should take 30 to 45 minutes and can be conducted online or in-person, at your convenience.

Your interview responses will help online communication researchers like me to better understand the collaborations, challenges, and purposeful work of Wikipedia editors and programmers like you. Questions will address your contributions to Wikipedia, and specifically, your thoughts, opinions and experiences working with bots, automated editing tools, and technical protocol in the system.

The interview is voluntary, and your confidentiality will be protected. You will have the choice of using your real name, Wikipedia username, or creating a unique pseudonym during the research. Your name will not appear on any documents or in the actual dissertation if you wish to keep it confidential. If you choose to keep your name secret, I will be the only one with access to materials including your name. If you agree to be interviewed online and would not like your name to appear in the dissertation, please note that online communication is not always completely secure and absolute privacy is not guaranteed. I will do my best to protect your information by immediately removing your name from saved text files, and all information will be encrypted and save only on my personal computer immediately following the interview.

There are no foreseeable risks to you by participating in this study. You may choose to not answer any question or questions, and you may withdraw at any time. By agreeing to be interviewed, you are providing informed consent to participate in the research and for the interview to be recorded via audio or video (when applicable). You may also obtain a copy of this consent form at any time.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact me via my Talk Page (UOJComm) or by email. My faculty advisor is Dr. Bish Sen. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research participant, please contact the Office for Protection of Human Subjects at the University of Oregon.

Thank you very much.